


Clothes

by OdeToPedrazar (MyPrivateLaughter)



Series: Five Friends and Francis [15]
Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: M/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-01-15
Packaged: 2018-03-07 16:25:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3177089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyPrivateLaughter/pseuds/OdeToPedrazar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Hadrian's Wall</i><br/>Pedro and Balthazar have an important conversation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clothes

Clean clothes were becoming an issue. The hostel they were staying in did have a washing room in the basement, but it also had a table football so it was a really tough call. And between matches Benedick kept on insisting that they were all comfortable enough with each other just to be naked for the rest of the trip. Francis wouldn’t mind.

Balthazar and Pedro ended up putting their load of washing in at somewhere close to 2am. They sat on opposite machines, stretching their legs across to bridge the gap, and leaned sleepily against the wall.

“I just don’t understand how you could suck so badly,” Balthazar said, wonderingly.

Pedro shook his head. “I can’t explain it. I was Captain of our football team. How do those skills not transfer?”

“We could go and practice while we wait.”

“Nah, I’m comfy.” But really there was something that Pedro wanted to say to Balthazar. It was something that he had been thinking about nearly constantly for days but that he had somehow never found the right moment to mention. But he had to do it. He just had to say it. _Say it_. “Balth, I want to say… I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you did sort of let the side down.”

“What? No, not table football. I’m talking about urm, you know…” Pedro leaned forwards, ran a desperate hand through his hair and then just let it out, “what happened on New Years Eve.” He looked up to gauge Balthazar’s response and was gutted to see him frowning down at his hands. “I’m sorry,” Pedro repeated.

“So, we’re talking about it now, are we?” Balthazar muttered.

Pedro felt his heart dive into his stomach. It was a very strange sensation having Balthazar frown at you, all the more soul-destroying for it’s rarity. “I know I was a huge douche about it. I’m sorry. I freaked out.”

Balthazar nodded but didn’t say anything. Pedro realised that he was going to have to do a bit more of the talking.

“I’m bi – I’m bisexual.” Pedro felt lightheaded. It was the first time that he’d let those words come out of his mouth. He hadn’t even said it to himself. “And I’ve sort of thought it for a while but never been able to – never wanted to -” Pedro sighed. “It was so much easier _not_ to tell anyone. It wasn’t like there were loads of guys I wanted to date. Not loads that would want to date me anyway. I just didn’t bother.”

“You could have told me.” Balthazar spoke quietly but he didn’t seem quite so annoyed.

“That was sort of the problem after New Years” Pedro admitted. “I knew that I should have told you before. You’ve always been so comfortable about being gay and I began to feel really ashamed that I… I didn’t want you to think I was… I thought that you’d think I was a coward.”

Balthazar looked angry again at the suggestion. “No one would ever think that. It’s not easy coming out in high school.”

“You did.”

Balthazar looked evenly across at Pedro and repeated, “It’s not easy.”

The only thing Pedro could think to say in response was ‘you’re amazing’, but he felt sure it would be inappropriate and so he sat silently instead, waiting for this latest wave of awe to pass. Pedro had become unnecessarily aware of the distance that lay between them.

Suddenly Balthazar said, “Um, you know that I, yeah, I sympathise with the coming out and all but that doesn’t excuse you for being a dick.”

Pedro was so surprised by this, coming from Balthazar, that he gave a sharp laugh. But then he became serious again. “I know. I’m sorry. Honestly, I had made out with a couple of guys before at parties, a while back, sort of when I was drunk. They were just people that I didn’t really know that well. And I was drunk that night but I didn’t mean to… I don’t know. I freaked out because you’re actually my mate and I just thought I’d messed everything up.”

“Yeah,” Balthazar said with an almost smirk, “pretending it never happened definitely helped with not messing everything up.”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Pedro half pleaded. “Please believe me. I would go back in time and change everything if I could.” He groaned, leaning forwards on the washing machine he was perched on top of and put his head in his hands. “I am complete trash. I don’t know why you’re my friend.”

Balthazar muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ‘eye candy’.

Pedro glanced up at him but Balthazar wasn’t looking and his expression was unreadable. “Look, I don’t expect you to forgive me,” Pedro said. “I just wanted to explain and to apologise. I know it’s unfair to expect us just to start over -”

“No, I think I could do that.”

Pedro faltered, his mind trying and failing to register this comment. “What? You want to pretend nothing happened?”

“Sure, yeah.” And Balthazar smiled so sweetly that Pedro’s brain completely melted and began to trickle out of his ears. He grinned, unable to do anything else to convey his appreciation, his relief, his happiness… Perhaps Pedro hadn’t realised quite how anxious he had felt for the last sixteen days.

Balthazar’s eyes flitted up to Pedro’s and then away again. “Just don’t… Just try really hard not to be a dick again.”

_Oh fuck it._ “You’re amazing,” Pedro said.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yey! *throws confetti* We're all proud of you Pedro!!


End file.
